Judith Carling 69 from Middlesbrough who appeared at Teesside Magistrates Court charged with having a dog dangerously out of control (Image: Evening Gazette)

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A woman has avoided jail after the dog she was looking after entered “killer mode” and viciously attacked her elderly brother.

Judith Carling was unable to control the Akita Husky cross as it mauled her brother, 77, in her home.

The horrific injuries to his hand and arm required him to spend three days in hospital.

Teesside Magistrates’ Court heard Carling was looking after her grandson’s dog while he was away working on September 27 last year and was visited by her brother.

Lisa Down, prosecuting said that the pensioner victim was attacked as he got up from his chair to look at a picture on Carling’s phone.

Teesside Magistrates' Court

She said the dog was “lying by the fire chewing a bone” and bit the victim’s right hand as he approached his sister and then continued to attack him.

In a victim impact statement that was read out to the court, the victim said the five-year-old dog was “shaking her head” while it was clamped onto his hand and had knocked him to the floor.

The victim began kicking back at the dog as Carling tried to stop the attack and described the dog as being in “killer mode”.

The court heard that Carling had been suffering from a gallbladder issue and was recovering at home at the time of the attack.

Judith Carling 69 from Middlesbrough (Image: Evening Gazette)

The victim said in the statement that if the dog had launched another attack he was unsure as to whether he would have enough strength to fight it off.

The attack left the victim with deep bite marks to his hands and leg, and almost de-gloved one hand. He was taken to James Cook University Hospital where he spent three days and required numerous stitches.

He said he has suffered physically as well as psychologically and that the attack lasted up to three minutes.

Andrew Wheldon, defending Carling, said the 69-year-old was of “previous good character” and had a “long history of looking after dogs”.

He said that Carling was “distraught” and “horrified” at what happened and that it was not something the family “had ever thought would happen”.